This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the rotation of a binary-data matrix, and more particularly to a storage unit for electronic computers which has the property of permitting the rotation of a matrix so as to obtain two different ways of access: row-wise and column-wise.
It is known that a matrix of binary data can be regarded as being composed by a plurality of bit-strings, or bit-words arranged along one or either of the two directions of development (rows and columns) of said matrix.
It is likewise known that, while, as a result of any detection or processing operation a data matrix in the storage unit of a digital computer is available which is formed by bit strings arranged along one or either of said two directions of development, it may likewise become necessary to orient such bit strings along the other direction of development. This is the case, for example, of optical readouts taken through vertical readout windows, which create, after a possible processing, data matrices having bit strings arranged columnwise, which is not ideal for a TV display carried out by horizontal scanning.
It becomes imperative, in such cases, to effect a so-called "matrix rotation," that is to say, to act upon the arrangement of the data stored in matrix form in such a way that the bit strings which were originally arranged along a certain direction of development will eventually be ordered along another direction of development (more particularly from row-wise to column-wise and vice versa).
It is possible, at present, to use several methods and apparatus for carrying out such a rotation, but these means have the defect that they are slow and intricate, unless particularly sophisticated and thus expensive circuitries are resorted to.
Such a problem becomes particularly impressing with the electronic digital computers which must exploit intricate programming techniques requiring very long processing times in order that the data matrices they have available in their storage units may be rotated.